Firstly, thank you for taking the time to read my post and subsequent proposition. If you've clicked on this, then you are most likely a new MTB rider or returning old school rider, and I welcome you to the support.
From experience of managing a shop for four years and my own personal experience of getting my first mountain bike in 2016, a new or returning rider will likely spend anywhere from $500 to $1500 on there first bike. Bikes in this price range are considered "recreational" by the bike industry and are built with the weekend warrior in mind. They most often have a good skeleton, but manufacturers rightly-so spec them with budget parts that can be anything from a 2x hybrid-bike style drivetrain (Shimano Tourney, Altus, Acera etc.), cable-actuated mechanical disc brakes, coil-sprung suspension forks, and fully rigid seatposts. And while I and everyone else should refrain from calling them cheap, they could really be so much better for not a lot more investment.
If you've been riding on your recreational bike for any period of time and have decided that it just doesn't brake as strong as it should, shift as quick and crisp as it should, or absorb bumps as smoothly as it should, then you should consider upgrading. I don't, however, mean get a new bike. That's what a salesman at a bike shop would tell you. I instead would urge you to put a mid amount of investment into your bike to unlock it's full potential when you're riding on the trails and improving your skills.
So if you're in the Riverside North San Diego county CA and what to upgrade and customize your recreational bike, please message me. I check over bikes for free and I can put together a concrete quote with parts and labor included based on the budget and expectations you have.
Thank You
Ryan Hazen
Founder and Owner
Zombie Bicycles